Cumberland County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 259,469. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

. Cumberland County is included in the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. The county is part of the South Central region of the commonwealth.

History

Middle Springs Pennsylvania Presbyterian Church Plaque

Cumberland County was first settled by a majority of Scots-Irish immigrants who arrived in approximately 1730. English and German settlers constituted about ten percent of the early population. The settlers originally mostly devoted the area to farming and later developed other trades. These settlers built the Middle Spring Presbyterian Church, among the oldest houses of worship in central Pennsylvania, in 1738 near present-day Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The General Assembly (legislature) of the Pennsylvania colony on January 27, 1750, created Cumberland County from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, naming it for Cumberland,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Its

. The county also lies within the Cumberland Valley adjoining the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

at its eastern border, stretching approximately 42 miles from the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of Shippensburg on the west to the Susquehanna River in east Cumberland County. The oldest towns in the county are Shippensburg and

, each with its unique history. Shippensburg is home to Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, one of 14 universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Carlisle is also home to Dickinson College, established in 1773, and the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. The United States Army War College is a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks, a military post dating back to the 1770s. It caters to high-level military personnel and civilians and prepares them for strategic leadership responsibilities. It is the U. S. Army's most senior military educational institution. During the Gettysburg campaign of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in the summer of 1863, Confederate troops marched through the Cumberland Valley, briefly occupying much of the county. In the 20th century, the suburbs of

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

, the state capital, expanded extensively into eastern Cumberland County. Carlisle also developed suburbs in adjoining townships.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. The area code is 717 with an overlay of 223. Blue Mountain forms Cumberland's northern natural boundary and Yellow Breeches Creek forms part of its SE natural boundary. The

drains the county and forms its eastern natural boundary. A large portion of Cumberland is drained by the Conodoguinet Creek, which winds its way west-to-east across the county into the Susquehanna.

Climate

Almost all of Cumberland has a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa'') and its hardiness zone is 7a, except in small higher areas near the NW and SW boundaries, where it is 6b. Average monthly temperatures in Lemoyne range from 29.9 °F in January to 74.9 °F in July, in Carlisle they range from 29.8 °F in January to 75.2 °F in July, and in Shippensburg they range from 29.6 °F in January to 74.6 °F in July. The latest temperature averages show some low-lying eastern areas of the county to have a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa''.)

Adjacent counties

* Perry County (north) * Dauphin County (east) * York County (southeast) * Adams County (south) * Franklin County (southwest)

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

State protected areas

* Colonel Denning State Park *

Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center Kings Gap Environmental Education Center is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Cooke Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Cooke, Dickinson Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Dickinson, and Penn Townshi ...

Pine Grove Furnace State Park Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel Lake (Cumberland County, Pennsylvania), Laurel and Pine Grove Iron Works#Fuller Lake, Fuller Lakes in Cooke Township, Cumberl ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 213,674 people, 83,015 households, and 56,118 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 86,951 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.36%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.13% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.43% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 35.3% were of German, 10.6% American, 10.1% Irish, 7.5% English and 6.8% Italian ancestry. 94.7% spoke English and 1.4% Spanish as their first language. There were 83,015 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.00% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. Its per capita income is $31,627, making it the wealthiest Pennsylvania county outside greater Philadelphia, and fifth wealthiest overall.

2020 census

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The

United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

has designated Cumberland County as part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census the metropolitan area ranked 6th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 96th most populous in the United States with a population of 549,475. Cumberland County is also a part of the larger Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area (CSA), which combines the populations of Cumberland County as well as Adams, Dauphin,

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Perry Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England (particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), parts of South Wales, France (especially Normandy and Anjou), Canada, Austral ...

and York Counties in Pennsylvania. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 5th in the State of Pennsylvania and 43rd most populous in the United States with a population of 1,219,422.

Government and politics

Cumberland County has been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential contests since McKinley's election in 1896, with only five Democratic Party candidates winning the county. The most recent Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 who won in a landslide statewide & nationally. In 2024,

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

won 44.45% of the vote in the county, the highest percentage since 1964, despite losing Pennsylvania and the 2024 presidential election.

Voter registration

As of May 19, 2025, there are 179,481 registered voters in Cumberland County. * Republican: 88,313 (49.20%) * Democratic: 59,862 (33.35%) * Independent: 24,624 (13.72%) * Third Parties: 6,682 (3.72%) The Republican Party has been dominant in Cumberland County politics since the 1890s, with the victories of Robert P. Casey for governor in 1990, Bob Casey Jr. for state treasurer in 2004, Tom Wolf for governor in 2018, and

Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...

for governor in 2022 being among the few times where a statewide Democrat carried the county. All row offices and all legislative seats serving Cumberland are held by Republicans except for one State Representative.

County commissioners

*Gary Eichelberger, Independent *Jean Foschi, Democrat *Kelly Neiderer, Chairman, Republican

Other county offices

*Clerk of Courts, Dennis Lebo, Republican *Controller, Alfred Whitcomb, Republican *Coroner Charles Hall, Republican *District Attorney, Seán M. McCormack, Republican *Prothonotary, Dale Sabadish, Republican *Recorder of Deeds, Tammy L. Shearer, Republican *Register of Wills, Lisa M. Grayson, Esq., Republican *Sheriff, Jody Smith, Republican *Treasurer, Kelly Neiderer, Republican

State representatives

* Thomas Kutz, Republican, 87th district * Sheryl M. Delozier, Republican, 88th district * Patty Kim, Democrat, 103rd district * Torren C. Ecker, Republican, 193rd district * Barbara Gleim, Republican, 199th district

State senators

* Dawn Keefer, Republican, 31st district * Greg Rothman, Republican, 34th district

United States House of Representatives

* Scott Perry, Republican, 10th district * John Joyce, Republican, 13th district

United States Senate

* John Fetterman, Democratic * Dave McCormick, Republican

Education

Colleges and universities

* Central Pennsylvania College * Dickinson College * Messiah University * Penn State Dickinson Law * Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania *

U.S. Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a United States Army, U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle B ...

Community, junior and technical colleges

* ITT Technical Institute

Public school districts

School districts include: * Big Spring School District * Camp Hill School District * Carlisle Area School District * Cumberland Valley School District * East Pennsboro Area School District * Mechanicsburg Area School District * Shippensburg Area School District (also in Franklin County) * South Middleton School District * West Shore School District (also in York County)

Public charter schools

* Commonwealth Connections Academy Charter School - Mechanicsburg

Technical school

* Cumberland-Perry Area Vocational Technical School

Private schools

As reported by the National Center for Educational Statisticsies, National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Private School Universe Survey 2008 *Allen Mennonite School - Dillsburg *Berean Christian Day School - Newville *Best Friends - New Cumberland *Bethel Christian Academy - Carlisle *Blue Ridge Mennonite School - Carlisle *Brookside Montessori School - Camp Hill *Chesterbrook Academy - Camp Hill *Chestnut Groove School - Shippensburg *Children's School of New Cumberland - New Cumberland *Dickinson College Children's Center - Carlisle *Emmanuel Baptist Christian Academy - Mechanicsburg *Faith Tabernacle School - Mechanicsburg *Good Shepherd Elementary School - Camp Hill *Harrisburg Academy - Wormleysburg *Hickory Lane School - Newburg *Hidden Valley School - Carlisle *Kindercare Learning Center - Mechanicsburg *Learning and Sharing - New Cumberland *Logos School - Carlisle *Living Faith School - Shippensburg *Meadow Run - Newburg *Mechanicsburg Learning Center - Mechanicsburg *Middle Run Parochial School - Shippensburg *Oak Grove Parochial School - Shippensburg *Oakwood Baptist Day School - Camp Hill *Otterbein School - Newburg *Quarry Hill School - Newville *Rocky View School Parochial - Newville *South Mountain Parochial School - Shippensburg *South Mountain Parochial School - Newville *Spring Hill Parochial School - Shipensburg *St. Joseph School - Mechanicsburg *St Patrick School - Carlisle *St Theresa Elementary School - New Cumberland *Sunset Amish School - Newburg *The Children's Garden of St Johns Lutheran Church - Shiremanstown *The Christian School of Grace Baptist Church - Carlisle *The Goddard School - Enola *The Goddard School - Mechanicsburg *The Learning Center - Camp Hill * Trinity High School (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) *West Shore Christian Academy - Shiremanstown *Yellow Breeches Education Center - Boiling Springs

Public libraries

Cumberland County Library System

Amelia S. Givin Free Library

Bosler Memorial Library

East Pennsboro Branch Library

Cleve J. Fredricksen Public Library

John Graham Public Library

New Cumberland Public Library

Shippensburg Public Library

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities,

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Cumberland County:

Boroughs

* Camp Hill *

(

) * Lemoyne * Mechanicsburg * Mount Holly Springs * New Cumberland * Newburg * Newville * Shippensburg (partly in Franklin County) * Shiremanstown * Wormleysburg

Townships

* Cooke * Dickinson * East Pennsboro * Hampden * Hopewell * Lower Allen * Lower Frankford * Lower Mifflin *

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

* Monroe * North Middleton * North Newton * Penn * Shippensburg * Silver Spring * South Middleton * South Newton *

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

* Upper Allen * Upper Frankford * Upper Mifflin * West Pennsboro

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. * Boiling Springs * Carlisle Barracks * Enola * Lower Allen * Messiah College * New Kingstown * Plainfield * Schlusser * Shippensburg University * West Fairview

Unincorporated communities

* Bloserville *

Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...

* Hogestown * Huntsdale * Lisburn * Summerdale * West Hill

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Cumberland County. † ''county seat''

Recreation

Annual events occur in downtown Carlisle at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. The Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township serves the West Shore, the Carlisle area, and surrounding communities. Williams Grove Speedway is a half-mile auto-racing track in the county. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

crosses the central part of Cumberland, which has two state parks: * Colonel Denning State Park (also in Perry County) *

(also in Adams County)

References

External links

County of Cumberland
(official website)
Cumberland Area Economic Development CorporationCarlisle Young ProfessionalsCumberland Valley Visitors Bureau
{{coord, 40.17, -77.27, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 1750 establishments in Pennsylvania Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area Populated places established in 1750